UN-backed information summit called on to help progress of indigenous peoples (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

UN-backed information summit called on to help progress of indigenous 
peoples

11 December – Indigenous people today called on a United Nations-backed 
global information summit to put information and communications 
technologies (ICTs) into the service of economic and social development 
in their communities around the world.

The call came in a declaration and action programme adopted at the 
conclusion of the Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the 
Information Society this week in Geneva, one of three official side 
events to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The text 
will be officially transmitted to the Summit tomorrow by Ole-Henrik 
Magga, Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

“This Global Forum is a chance for indigenous people to become engaged 
with the World Summit on the Information Society. By discussing 
opportunities and challenges facing people around the world, we are 
creating solutions that will help indigenous peoples move forward in 
meaningful ways,” Mr. Magga said at a press briefing.

The Global Forum, which began Monday, addressed topics ranging from 
e-health, e-learning, cultural preservation through digital media and 
citizen empowerment. It identified many challenges, including a lack of 
resources as well as a lack of control most indigenous peoples 
experience in terms of having to adapt to a new technology rather than 
being able to adjust the technology to suit their needs.

The meeting also agreed that indigenous peoples should play a part in 
the preparatory process for the second phase of the Summit in 2005 in 
Tunis, and win concrete results at that conference, after having been 
given short notice to prepare for and participate in the Geneva phase.

“The value of information technology becomes most apparent when we 
examine how it is benefiting indigenous communities, particularly those 
in remote locations,” Mr. Magga said. “Indigenous peoples are keen to 
preserve and pass on their diverse culture to future generation and are 
examining the new tools of the information society to see how they can 
assist.”

Joining Mr. Magga was Mililani Trask, a member of the Permanent Forum, 
who lamented the decision by the Member States to delete references in 
the Summit's draft Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action to such 
issues as the protection of indigenous peoples' rights and the 
preservation of cultural diversity and language.

The Secretariat for the UN Permanent Forum assists the 16-member panel 
in carrying out its mandate, which covers economic and social 
development, culture, the environment, education, health and human 
rights. It provides expert advice and recommendations on indigenous 
issues to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to UN 
programmes, funds and agencies, and helps to raise awareness of 
indigenous issues within the UN system.
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